Spectacle case



Jan. 15, l1957 R. F. E. sTEGl-:MAN

SPECTACLE CASE Filed May 6, 1955 v INVENTOR. R.F;E STEGEMAN ATTORNEY United States Patent O SPECTACLE CASE Raymond F. E. Stegeman, Greece, N. Y., assignor to Bausch & Lomb Optical Company,v Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 6, 1955, Serial No. 506,639

2 Claims. (Cl. 15d-1) T his invention relates to spectacle `cases and more particularly `it has reference to such a case of the type having an open end for the insertion or withdrawal of a spectacle.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an improved spectacle case of the type described which will be relatively simple in structure yet eicient in operation. Another object is to provide such a spectacle case which can be manufactured without the use of fastening means, such as stitching, cementing or the like, so that the cost of manufacturing the case will be reduced to a minimum. These and other objects and advantages reside in certain novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts as will hereinafter be more fully described and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. l is a view of a blanked out piece of sheet material used for making my case.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a case made from the blank of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the case shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

One embodiment of my invention is shown in the drawings wherein 10 indicates, generally, a blank which has been cut out of any suitable exible sheet material, such as leather, plastic or the like. The blank Iis lformed of a single, integral piece of material and has the relatively long narrow middle panel 11, a first side panel 12 and a second side panel 13. The side panels 12 and 13 are substantially coextensive in length with the panel 11 and are adapted to be folded over along the lines 14 and 1S, respectively.

Formed respectively adjacent the upper and lower ends of panel 12 are the pairs of slits 15 and 16 which extend horizontally of the panels. The second side panel 13 has the slots 17 and 18 respectively formed adjacent the upper and lower ends thereof. integrally formed with and projecting from the lower end portion of panel 11 is the straplike projection 19 which is preferably tapered toward its free end which terminatesl in an enlargement 20.

To form the case, the first panel 12 is folded over along the line 14 so as to overlie the middle panel 11. The second panel 13 is then folded along line 15 so as to overlie panel 12. With the panels in this overlapping position, the slots 17 and 18 are positioned, respectively, over the pairs of slits 15 and 16. The vertical dimensions of slots 17 and 18 are slightly greater than the distance between the pairs of slits 1S and 16 so that the loops 21 and 22 formed thereby are aligned with the slots 17 and 2,777,489 Patented Jan. 15, 1957 ICC 18, respectively. The free end of the straplike projection 19 is then threaded through the loops 22 and 21 so that the projection 19 overlies the panel 13 and holds the case in assembled relation. Since the projection 19 is tapered, the lower loop 22 is wider than the upper loop 21. The enlargement 20 at the free end of projection 19 is wider than the adjacent loop 21 so that the enlargement 20 is folded over and forced through loop 21 whereby the enlargement 20 will normally hold projection 19 against withdrawal from the loop.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that I am able to attain the objects of my invention and provide an improved spectacle case of the open end-type ywhich can be readily and cheaply made without the use of stitching or cementing operations. The case may be made of any suitable flexible sheet material, such as leather or plastic covered fabric, so that an efcient and durable case may thereby be provided for the protection of spectacles or sunglasses. Various modifications may obviously be made without departingy from the spirit of my invention as pointed out in the appended claims.

' I claim:

1. An open end spectacle case formed of flexible sheet material and comprising a middle panel, a rst panel connected to and extending along one side of the middle panel, a second panel similarly connected to the other side of the middle panel, a straplike projection of appreciable width extending from the bottom end of the middle panel, said first and second panels being folded in overlapping relation on the middle panel to form an enclosure, said first panel having a pair of horizontally extending slits adjacent each end to provide a pair of loops, said second panel having a slot adjacent each end thereof, said second panel overlying said first panel with said slots positioned,

r respectively, over the spaces between the pairs of slits in said first panel, said projection overlying said second panel and extending through the loops, and an enlarged portion on the free end of the projection which is wider than the adjacent loop whereby said panels and projection are held in position to form an open end case.

2. An open end spectacle case formed of an integral piece of sheet material which is folded to provide a middle panel, a first side panel overlying lthe middle panel and a second side panel overlying the first panel, all of said panels being substantially coextensive in length, said first panel having a loop formed by a pair of spaced slits adjacent each of its upper and lower ends, said second panel having a slot formed adjacent each of its ends with the slots overlying the loops on the first panel, said loops and slots extending horizontally of the panels, the vertical dimensions of the slots being slightly greater than the vertical dimensions of the respectively adjacent loops whereby the loops on the rst panel extend through the adjacent slots in the second panel, and a straplike projection of appreciable width extending from the lower end of the middle panel, said projection being folded to overlie the second panel and extending through the loops, an enlarged poiton formed on the free end of the projection which is wider than the loop adjacentthereto whereby the folded panels are held in relation to form an open end case.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

